diff --git a/base/inference.jl b/base/inference.jl
index 73066fa593f51..8ca4ffa4aa530 100644
--- a/base/inference.jl
+++ b/base/inference.jl
@@ -3279,7 +3279,7 @@ function meta_elim_pass!(linfo::LambdaInfo, code::Array{Any,1})
     # The clearing needs to be propagated up during pop
     # This is not pushed to if the push is already eliminated
     # Also shared for `Expr(:boundscheck)` and `Expr(:inbounds)`
-    bounds_push_pos_stack = [0]
+    bounds_push_pos_stack = [0] # always non-empty
     # Number of boundscheck pushes in a eliminated boundscheck block
     void_boundscheck_depth = 0
     is_inbounds = check_bounds == 2
@@ -3287,9 +3287,9 @@ function meta_elim_pass!(linfo::LambdaInfo, code::Array{Any,1})
 
     # Position of the last line number node without any non-meta expressions
     # in between.
-    prev_dbg_stack = [0]
+    prev_dbg_stack = [0] # always non-empty
     # Whether there's any non-meta exprs after the enclosing `push_loc`
-    push_loc_pos_stack = [0]
+    push_loc_pos_stack = [0] # always non-empty
 
     for i in 1:length(code)
         ex = code[i]
@@ -3330,6 +3330,7 @@ function meta_elim_pass!(linfo::LambdaInfo, code::Array{Any,1})
                 if !(args[1] === :pop)
                     void_boundscheck_depth += 1
                 elseif void_boundscheck_depth == 0
+                    # There must have been a push
                     pop!(bounds_elim_stack)
                     enabled = true
                 else
@@ -3379,7 +3380,7 @@ function meta_elim_pass!(linfo::LambdaInfo, code::Array{Any,1})
             end
             arg1 = args[1]
             if arg1 === true
-                if inbounds_stack[end]
+                if !isempty(inbounds_stack) && inbounds_stack[end]
                     code[i] = nothing
                     push!(bounds_elim_stack, true)
                 else
@@ -3390,6 +3391,8 @@ function meta_elim_pass!(linfo::LambdaInfo, code::Array{Any,1})
                 push!(inbounds_stack, true)
             elseif arg1 === false
                 if is_inbounds
+                    # There must have been a `true` on the stack so
+                    # `inbounds_stack` must not be empty
                     if !inbounds_stack[end]
                         is_inbounds = false
                     end
diff --git a/test/core.jl b/test/core.jl
index a997a37ba4e3c..a5500c46693e3 100644
--- a/test/core.jl
+++ b/test/core.jl
@@ -4555,6 +4555,12 @@ end
 # variable name in the error is tested above in `TestSSA16244`
 @test_throws UndefVarError f18386(1, 2, true)
 
+Base.@propagate_inbounds function f18412(a)
+    @inbounds b = a[1]
+    return b
+end
+@test f18412([1]) == 1
+
 # issue #18173
 function f18173()
     identity(()->successflag)